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Snakes Die in the Garden

Ms. Evers escaped from him once. Now she will escape him forever.

By Sierra LynnPublished 3 years ago 12 min read
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Silence. Sweet, unmoved silence.

It was the only the she craved after months of disaster. Months of tragedy. Months of distractions. All she wanted was to sit by the fire, relax, and possibly read one of her favorite books again.

She hadn't been able to read in months without distraction after distraction. At this point it was the only thing she desperately craved, right behind that sweet sweet silence.

A few months prior her comfort was ripped from her. By a man she thought would fill her garden. In the end, he turned out to be the snake that would ruin her. The idea that she fell for every single one of his senseless ploys made her skin crawl. Of course he had red flags flying every where. Red flags were on the floor, in the sky, even possibly popping from his eye sockets. As everyone knows though, with the right tinted glasses, and an impossibly low sense of self loathing. Red flags can be pink, green, or blue.

His words were smooth. Comparable to a sticky sweet molasses. His eyes were stark green. Shining brighter than the most expensive emeralds ever sold. He had a face carved by the gods themselves. They shaped this man in their image. He was glorious. He was beautiful. He was prince charming incarnate.

On the flip side, he spit venom. It leaked from his lies. Poured from his fake tears. Instead of walking, he slithered.

All she wished, was that she would have caught on sooner to all the drama following behind him. He pulled everything she loved into the burning pile that they called 'love'. Her friends, her family, her self-security. All of it burned into crumbling ashes.

The world says that things can be rebuilt from ashes. That a phoenix can emerge from the destruction. In the end, those are fairy tales. The phoenix isn't a real creature. Nothing can come from ashes, especially if those ashes just fly away in the wind.

She wished she was the notorious phoenix. Being able to rise from all of this would be to most devious form of revenge. Yet instead she is sat here, reading her book, sitting in the silence.

Her head turned to the right, to glance out the window. The sun was setting on the horizon. The small apple tree just outside the window swayed in the wind. The branches were short, the leaves just beginning to sprout. She smirked at the sight of the small tree. Being knocked out of her trance by a loud knock on the door.

Closing the book in her hand, she stood and wandered her way to the front door. The door swung open with a pull of her hand.

"Ma'am,' The tall man said with a tilt of his head. 'I hope not to be intruding on anything this evening, but I had a few questions for you."

She eyed the man up and down. Taking in the sight of him. He was tall, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a long brown trench coat. While he waited for an answer he pulled a small notebook from inside his jacket.

"Might I ask who you are first?" She asked him. Being slightly annoyed with intrusion.

"Detective Johnathan Gates, and Ms. Evers. May I come in?" He asked.

She pulled the door open even more to invite the man in. "Please, call me Layla." She said.

Ms. Evers walked back into the living area, sitting in the spot where she once sat. Glancing back out at her apple tree. She pushed her hand out towards the chair across from her. Gesturing for Detective Gates to take a seat.

"Thank you ma'am. It's well appreciated.' Detective Gates took a deep sigh as he sat into the seat. 'I'd like to just get to the point if that's okay with you Ms. Evers."

She smiled at him. "Would you like a beverage Detective? A tea? Coffee maybe?"

Gates shook his head, "No thank you Ms. Evers. I am here on business, nothing more. Wouldn't you like to know why I'm here?"

"Oh,' she whispered, 'Of course Detective. What brings you here today?"

There was a small string of silence as Gates flipped through the small notebook in his hand. "Ms. Evers, a few days ago, someone came into the field office to report your ex husband missing. Have you heard of this revelation? Did you know?"

A small gasp left Ms. Evers lips. "No, we haven't spoken in almost two weeks. Once the divorce finalized,' She paused, 'He was cruel Detective, I was happy to leave."

Another short moment of silence, most likely a moment of empathy for the pain Layla Evers endured while she was married.

Everyone in town knew Marcus Evers was not a kind man. He was cold, calculated, and just pure evil. The only way he made his millions was through cruel deals, and simply screwing other people over. Layla was his fourth wife, no one was surprised when they married after only a month of knowing one another. Again, no one was surprised when they announced their divorce just a few months later. Of course, every one was at a loss, when they heard no word of Marcus Evers.

One thing about Mr. Evers, is that his mouth was always open. He was never silent. When he continued to be silent after the divorce, the town listened, waiting.

"I'm sorry Ms. Evers. Marcus was,' There was a short pause from Gates, he questioned his next words. 'He was not a kindly man. Most of us knew not to bother him, even when he was causing problems. When I heard he went missing, I was not very surprised, he had many enemies."

Ms. Evers shook her head. "Even being married to him I was scared for my life Detective, not only was he terrifying, all of his business dealings. Things got worse day by day."

"Yes, I know he dealt with some shady things. Most of his dealings were spoke about at the precinct, we kept our tabs on him. We knew when he was reported missing that we would have a pool of suspects. We were wondering if you knew anything of his dealings, or possible enemies that we have not heard of?"

Ms. Evers adjusted in her seat, "He never told me anything. Truly. I often wonder why he ever incorporated me into his life. I loved him, but I am unsure of any emotions he ever had for me." Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Ms. Evers, please, I am just looking for information of his dealings or any shady peers you ever crossed paths with while being with Marcus." Gates established.

"I'm sorry Detective,' There was a pause and a small sniffle. 'Speaking of this just pulls up many awful memories. Would you mind if I go collect myself, a cup of tea may help me jog my memory."

"Of course, go right ahead Ms. Evers." Gates said. His words very sincere.

Layla pushed herself up from the couch. Sauntering over the the small kitchen in her home. The sound of the kettle rang through to the sitting area. Detective Gates listened quietly as Layla hummed a tune in the kitchen. In the white noise Gates looked out the window across from him to see a small garden. Lilies, roses, and other colorful blossoms filled the small gated space. In the center sat an apple tree.

There were a few other apple trees in the garden. most of them pushed to the side. This tree though, sat right in the center of the garden. It's branches were smaller compared to the others. The leaves growing on it were small, they were new.

Gates leaned forward in his chair being mesmerized by the garden. Having complete adoration for the colors, and the freshly turned dirt.

There was a small cough, "My garden is my prized possession, I work on it everyday. My father taught me how to care for a garden when I was a child. It was how we bonded."

Ms. Evers sat back down on the couch. Placing a mug and a plate of sliced apples on the coffee table in front of her.

"Would you like an apple Detective? They are from the trees outside. I picked them this morning."

"Not at the moment Ms. Evers, thank you though. Now, could you please give me anything about Mr. Evers dealings?"

Ms. Evers took a sip of her tea, "Yes, of course. In the few months we lived together I mainly remember only a few people coming through. One of them went by the name Robert, I know nothing else of him."

Gates jotted the name in his notebook, "Did Robert have any cohorts with him? What did the Robert look like?"

"Well, he had a friend name Francis that was usually with him, and a woman named Carlee. The three of them were always together, they came over for poker nights quite often. Robert and Francis were both quite tall men, Robert had black hair with blue eyes, and Francis had blonde hair with blue eyes. Carlee was short, she was sweet, we spoke a lot, complained about the men quite a bit,' Layla chuckled at the thought. 'She had red hair, a lovely color."

After a few moments of Gates writing down in his notebook. He pondered for a moment, thinking of his next question.

"Did you speak to Marcus in the past few days?" He spoke.

"No Sir, once we divorced I have tried my hardest to cut off all contact with him. I have tried to rebuild from the past few months.' She grabbed a slice of apple from the plate in front of her, taking a nice bite. 'My garden has helped me focus on myself quite a bit, it's been nice."

"That sounds lovely Ms. Evers, I'm glad you have comforts. Now are you sure there are no other people you'd like to mention before I leave?" Gates said. He was tapping his pen on his notebook, hoping Layla would have more information for him.

"Truthfully I tried to be out of that house as much as possible Detective, it was a house of horrors for me. Marcus was an evil man. When I was able to leave I did. Whenever he had dealings, I left. I wasn't even allowed to be in the same room, so I just left. I only knew of those three people I told you because Marcus allowed me to meet them. I wish I was able to help more Detective, truly. Unfortunately, I don't know anything more."

Gates closed his notebook. "I appreciate it ma'am."

Gates stood up from his seat, pulling a card from his jacket pocket.

"If there is anything else you are able to think off please let me know." He said handing Layla the card. He glanced over her shoulder at the garden outside the window, seeing it for the last time in the perfect sunset. "And, keep working on that garden Ms. Evers, it's lovely."

Ms. Evers picked up an apple from the small bowl off the coffee table. "Thank you Detective Gates, that is very kind of you. Please take this for the road. My apples are my favorite ones, they are so sweet, they are unmatched." She said placing the apple into the Detectives hands.

He took the apple, nodding his head in acceptance.

"Have a good night ma'am." Gates said and walked out the door.

Ms. Evers shut the door behind him. She watched as he closed the door of his car, and his headlights exited the drive.

Once she knew he had gone, she quickly turned on her heels. Walking to the backdoor, grabbing an apple from the table before she walked out the back. Grabbing the shovel leaning up against the small shed in the garden. With one hand on the shovel and an apple in between her teeth she stopped her way into the center of the garden.

She shoved the shovel into the dirt, uplifting heavy amounts throwing it under the trunk of the tree. Once she saw a few fingers emerge from the dirt she sighed. Spitting the apple into the ground.

"I'm lucky you were such a bastard Marcus. No one is going to care to find you, and I'll take back everything you stole from me.' She spit into the dirt again. 'A few more sob stories, and a few more fake names, no one will suspect a thing."

She dug up some more dirt. Exposing a whole hand now. The mans wedding ring still attached to his ring finger.

"Not even that sweet Detective Graves. Especially if I treat him kindly, and give him those lovely eyes that caught you."

A few more scoops of dirt revealed a tattoo on the wrist of the cadaver. The very same tattoo sat upon Layla's left ankle. It was her idea she get the matching tattoos, she figured they would symbolize forever.

"Now I just have to make you fall apart a little bit quicker my dear."

After a few more scoops of dirt, a full face and torso was reveal. One single bullet logged in between his eyes. Still wrapped in his boxers and white singlet top. Layla threw the shovel to the side. She made her way back into the small garden shed, grabbing a small bucket full of worms.

Lugging the bucket over to the half buried cadaver, Layla looked down and smiled.

"Snakes will always die in the garden my darling. I'll see you in hell."

She flipped the bucket of worms over on to the cadaver. Covering the face in the worms. Grabbing her shovel she began lifting the over turned dirt, throwing it back over Marcus and the worms. Allowing him to become one with the dirt. While fertilizing her newly planted apple tree. Hoping the well fertilized dirt will make these apples even sweeter.

Short Story
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About the Creator

Sierra Lynn

Aspiring historian. Fiction enthusiast. Lover of mystery.

Writer of macabre, fantasy realms, and historical ideals.

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